BHEL to start work on clean coal energy plant

Work on the country’s first and biggest Integrated Coal Gassification Combined Cycle (ICGCC) power plant is likely to commence in June 2010. The Rs 2,500 crore plant will come up in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh and will be set up by three joint venture partners, with one of them being Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL).

Speaking to Business Standard, A V Krishnan, executive director, BHEL-Tiruchirappali (Tiruchy) said design for the 182 mega watt plant has been completed and by May or June 2010, work will commence on the plant.

He added that the project will be set up by three partners including Department of Science, ApGenco and BHEL. “While our share (one third) by way of equipment, ApGenco will provide land and the department will bring finance,” said Krishnan.

 

A Memorandum of Understanding for setting up the nation’s biggest IGCC power plant at Vijayawada was signed way back in 2008.

IGCC is a technology that aims to extract the maximum energy from a fuel that is burnt. In the case of coal, the carbon conversion efficiency in an IGCC plant is significantly higher than that in a conventional pulverised coal (PC) fired power plant.

The public sector BHEL Tiruchi unit has gathered expertise in IGCC technology by running a 6.2 Mw demonstration plant for over 15 years now. But it never showcased and publicised the achievements in the IGCC area. That, BHEL has been having a demonstration plant at Tiruchy itself is not well known.

The IGCC technology converts coal into gas which is fed into gas turbines. The flue gases that come out of the turbines are used to generate steam which again is used to produce power. This is said to be the cutting edge in clean coal technologies.

It also gives higher thermal efficiency or gives more power per tonne of coal than conventional plants.

BHEL’s expertise in developing this technology compares well with the latest technology in the US and European Union, and BHEL is ahead of others in its capability to handle Indian coals, according to industry experts.

BHEL is the first and foremost organisation to develop IGCC in India, they added.

“This will be the role model for both private and public sector power producers in the country,” claimed Krishnan. He was hopeful that many such plants will come in India which will not only help to address power deficit, but also bring down the pollution.